Political leaders in Tamil Nadu usually pay little attention to the refugees’ dire living conditions, but in every election season, parties compete to portray themselves as champions of the Sri Lankan Tamils.

As Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the chief of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, plots a resurgence in the 2014 elections, there is the feeling that this may prove to be a comeback too far for the grand old man of Indian politics.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party named an actress to challenge Rahul Gandhi in his home district in Uttar Pradesh, while it chose to pit a Supreme Court lawyer against Sonia Gandhi of the Congress party in Rae Bareli.

Though the Gandhi name resonates strongly in the Amethi constituency of Uttar Pradesh, the Aam Aadmi Party is hoping against hope that it can gain traction through some rumblings of dissatisfaction among voters.

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Tamil Nadu state government could not immediately release three of the seven prisoners serving life sentences for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, a lawyer for the state government said.